Motorcycles? Safety? Bridge Day? You Bet

Bridge Day 2009. What a great day to be in Southern West Virginia.

The state’s largest one day festival is an absolute blast, and if you haven’t been to the festival, you don’t know what you’re missing. With arts, crafts, food, rappelling, high line rides, fall foliage, and plenty of BASE jumpers, the Bridge Day is not to be missed.

This is the one day during the year that you can walk on the Western Hemisphere’s largest single arch bridge, and take in the view of the New River Gorge. Fall colors are at their peak, and the bridge offers a wonderful vista over one of the world’s oldest places.

This Bridge Day is also the Second Annual West Virginia Motorcycle Safety Program Ride. This ride is to promote more awareness of motorcycles on the highways and safe interaction with other motor vehicles.

As motorcycle ridership has increased, so have accidents. There is a need to make all motorists aware of motorcycles and to watch closely for them during the riding season, which runs April through November.

The ride will be held on Saturday October 17 at 10 am (Bridge Day). Riders will meet at Songer Whitewater in Hico and travel south on Rt 19 across the bridge then, following Rt 16 North and Rt 60 East, back to Hico. This route crosses the New River and the bridge to highlight motorcycles on the highways to a large number of motorists attending Bridge Day.

The route also offers riders a scenic route through Southern West Virginia with views of the gorge and the fall colors. Riders will then have time to return to the bridge to enjoy the festivities.

While registration has closed for this year, we do want people to know that this is an ongoing event. If you ride, but aren’t registered, you can still watch for us to come rolling across the bridge, right in the middle of all the action.

If you ride a bike and would like to participate in the ride in 2010, check the website for details. If you have not been to Bridge Day, make plans to do so. You won’t be disappointed!